BY: Dr. Hana Saada
International Economist Abdelmalek Serrai Highlights the Crucial Role of Private Enterprise and Youth Innovation in Realizing the President’s Ambitious Economic Vision
Algiers, Algeria | April 14th, 2025 — In a commentary following the high-level meeting between President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Algeria’s leading economic operators, international expert in economics and development, Abdelmalek Serrai, delivered a resounding endorsement of the President’s strategic economic vision, describing it as “just, long-term, and profoundly prospective.”
Serrai emphasized that President Tebboune’s credibility stems from decades of hands-on engagement with the realities of Algeria’s economic terrain—especially during a time when the private sector was nearly non-existent. “The advantage of President Tebboune’s stance lies in his deep-rooted experience spanning more than thirty years,” Serrai affirmed. “He has witnessed and supported the steady rise of the private sector, which was extremely weak three decades ago.”
According to Serrai, the future of Algeria unequivocally lies in the private sector. He contrasted it with a heavily burdened public sector that, while stabilizing in some domains, lacks economic profitability in classical ratios. “The public sector consumes vast financial resources but has not proven its worth in terms of returns,” he stated. “The private sector is our future, especially now that we are witnessing the emergence of dynamic, highly educated young managers—graduates from top universities and specialized institutes.”
He particularly lauded the President’s firm support for start-ups, which he sees as essential engines of growth and employment generation. “A new generation is taking root across the country in small and medium-sized industries,” Serrai said. “It’s only natural that they lead this movement—fueled not just by academic training that’s more in tune with today’s economy, but also by a burning ambition among youth who no longer seek jobs but strive to create them.”
“This is the paradigm shift: from job-seeking to job-creation,” he declared. “That’s the real transformation in our national mindset, and it’s precisely what will power our industrial and entrepreneurial ecosystem moving forward.”
Serrai went on to assert that this shift in attitude and policy direction—fostered by presidential support—will enable the country to generate thousands of new small enterprises and substantial employment opportunities. He acknowledged that Algeria still grapples with an unemployment rate ranging between 9% and 11%, a figure that can only be effectively reduced through greater industrialization and private sector involvement.
“To bring down unemployment, we must increase industrial output and enhance GDP. And for that, the private sector must be front and center,” he stressed.
In closing, Serrai offered a decisive appraisal of President Tebboune’s leadership:
“The President is right. His vision is accurate, far-sighted, and fundamentally forward-looking. It’s now up to us—as citizens, professionals, and economic actors—to rally around this message and collectively build a more productive and high-performing Algerian economy.”
